What exactly do I mean by that? Media (and people in general) like experts. They need to know, like and trust you before ever giving you the light of day (or their money). That’s why it’s no longer enough to just have a business that solves a problem, you also need to build a brand around yourself.
Building the brand of you also leads to more opportunities for earning money outside of the primary service you provide. For example, I started as a freelance writer. Because I’ve worked on my own brand, I also make money selling digital courses and consulting. Add to that affiliate sales and brand partnerships and I have opportunities coming to me all the time.
It wasn’t always like this though. In fact, I started the same way everyone else does – with nothing. But I’ve learned a few things along the way that can help you build the brand of you.
Put content out there on a consistent basis.
The main ingredient you’ll need to building the brand of you is your own content. Not only that, but you need to put content out there on a consistent basis.
Maybe that looks like a YouTube video once a week or a podcast show. In the very beginning of my own brand, I was blogging about three times a week.
Putting content out there on a consistent basis also looks like being active on social media. Granted, this doesn’t mean you need to be on all social media channels, but it does mean you need to focus on the few that work best for you.
Speak at events.
Another way to build the brand of you is to speak at events. Being the person on stage immediately catapults you into expert status. In my experience, it is by far the easiest way to make a name for yourself.
While I’ve been speaking for years, 2017 was the year I put that into overdrive. I’ve had at least one speaking gig a month since the beginning of the year. And you know what’s happened? My brand has grown considerably and I’m making more money.
Collaborate with others.
The final step in building the brand of you is to collaborate with others. I’m lucky in so far as I was never concerned with competition. When I started writing online and meeting other people in my field I was just trying to make friends. The idea of them being my “competition” never even crossed my mind.
Unfortunately, I’ve come to realize this is not the case for most people. I coach several people out of the competition mindset all the time. Instead, I push them to collaborate with others in their field.
This helps them grow their network, build a support system and increase the visibility for their businesses. While your primary goal should be to help each other, it just so happens that if you align yourself with experts in your field then you yourself become an expert as well.
Final Thoughts
Building the brand of you is not difficult, it just takes consistent effort over time. If you’re able to follow these steps consistently, then you’ll build a brand that gets attention and makes money.
